Thorns
by Stefany Sungold
Summary: Scorpius is madly in love with Rose. Rose doesn't even know. But the real question is will she ever find out? Rated T for now may be updated to M later on if the story goes as planned!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: First fanxfic ever! So be nice please! And reviews would be helpful!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Harry Potter. **

Rose looked down at her reflection on the ponds surface. She was the standard Weasley with red hair and crystal blue eyes. Her hair was a bit frizzy which she (unfortunately) got from her mother. She also inherited her killer brains and little interest in Quidditch. She had no freckles and was on the tall side, standing a fair 5'8, and she also had the body of a Victoria's Secret model.

It was rather too much for her. She was quiet and very reserved, so her striking features called unwanted attention to herself. She didn't date much, because she was so shy, and it actually made her feel a bit inadequate, not knowing what a real catch she was. She had her fair share of crushes, but she never acted on them and they obviously got with girls that were willing to catch a guy's eye. It was a bit confusing to logical Rose.

She had a life plan to achieve and all the girls around her were playing around dancing on the borderline of getting pregnant. She would get top marks, become a Healer, get married have 3 children, retire in her mid 50s and live out a life with her loving significant other. Too bad she didn't have one yet.

It was quite baffling to Rose as to why she didn't have a guy yet. Her parents often spoke of her beauty as did strangers and this summer as she strolled through a muggle mall she was asked to join a modeling agency. She obviously refused because it wasn't what she wanted but thinking back on it if she would have taken up that offer she might have appeared more appealing to the males at Hogwarts. And then she could sleep at night knowing that her life might be heading in the right direction.

~*~*~*~*~

He was up in a tree watching her sit at the water's edge. While his behavior is typically frowned on by you and me, everyone in the whole of Hogwarts could understand. He was madly in love with Rose Weasley. Not only was she gorgeous but she was out of every guys league. She had a way of looking at a guy with her icy blue eyes and making him feel like he was a fool for even thinking of asking her out. She wasn't emotional; she was analytical, so being smooth didn't work for her. Most people felt that the whole Potter-Weasley Clan was reason enough to stay away from Rose but to be honest she wasn't with them all that much. Since being sorted into Slytherin, her schedule kept her family time limited to shared classes and meal times.

He knew where she was and where to find her if someone needed her. He knew her likes and dislikes, what colors appealed to her, what her favorite foods were and what she was planning to do with her life. Being a Slytherin himself gave him a bit of a reason to be around her, but honestly she wasn't a people person. He should know! He had witnessed many a times guys being turned down and girls being ripped apart by that lovely Rose. She didn't know what sympathy was in a way. It seemed to never occur to her that what she was saying was rather hurtful than helpful.

And he was in over his head! Scorpius Malfoy was known as a big shot and many stayed away from him just because of his family's history but he wasn't the jerk off people made him out to be. He wasn't a Mudblood hating idiot like Goyle, Flint and their posse. He just didn't see the purpose. But by now many of his fellow classmates realized that stories were stories and he didn't deserve to be punished for his father's and grandfather's mistakes. He had to leave soon to avoid being late for Quidditch practice and secure his spot as Beater, since tryouts were today. He hated when things cut into his time reserved for watching Rose.

~*~*~*~*~

She always knew he was there. He was stalking her ever since they were First Years. She found it odd and unnerving but she never called him out for it since he was quiet about it and since he didn't bother her. She actually kind of liked it because it gave her a sense of security. In their Fifth Year now he did it a bit more often and still he was unable to approach her. She saw the desire in his eyes and knew he was interested. On the train, when the Prefects meeting was held and he saw her, his eyes lit up immediately. He greeted her and that was it. No friendly conversation or anything, which is actually what Rose preferred. She didn't like dating since it was so awkward. You had to be intimate and talk and hold hands and to Rose that was a vulnerability she wasn't ready to accept. Not just yet, anyways. One day but not anytime soon.

She left the lake as she felt he was no longer around to keep an eye out for her and she made her way to the dungeons to retire for the night. As she made her way to the castle, she was thinking about Scorpius and his relentless attraction for her. She might have to ask him what caused him to think she was worthy of his time. A few flight of stairs later and she was at the entrance to her house. She said the password and gained entrance and made way to her room. As she was debating which books to take with her during the day to make her load easier she realized she had duty that night. It was only 6, so she had a few hours to spare before she paired up with Scorpius to map out which hallways and classrooms they would take and patrol for an hour.

It was controlled chaos. The dungeons was their and a pair of Sixth Year Prefects patrol area. It was dark and contained many a secret passage ways and twisted paths with loads of dark rooms for students to sneak to. Their area was a bit harder than most other prefects, being as they had a few floors to cover and watch for. Rose was told that most areas are so jumbled that students just don't use them to avoid being lost and if they used a few perimeter spells then they would be saved a load of time. Rose felt it was a way of cheating but most definitely agreed. Sometimes if she wasn't paying attention she could easily stroll past the wall that gained entrance to her common room and they weren't even that deep into the dungeons.

She found a nice spot near the fire and picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet. She read a few articles and was beyond engrossed when Scorpius and the rest of the Quidditch team and wanna-be's strolled in to the common room. They were a noisy lot, recapping the best and worst plays and how the team should be unbeatable this year. Scorpius looked her way and blushed heavily as he smiled at her before putting his broom away. And she realized, as he moved out of sight, she had smiled back.

~*~*~*~*~

Goodness. Rose was always beautiful, but he wasn't expecting her to look _his_ way much less _smile_ at him. So what else could he do as he felt his cheeks burn when they made eye contact. He made his way to his dorm and put his broom away before he returned to the common room. He saw Rose talking to Dmitri Munter and Alexis Avery. They were going over their schedules for tonight and he hurried over.

"…path is quite a mess and a bit too crooked and just down right confusing. Most people don't take it unless they want to get lost. Thank you for joining us Malfoy." Alexis practically spat at him. She hated being interrupted rolled her eyes at him, wondering how such a git was able to make Prefect.

"Sorry!" It was all he could say as he hung his head and waited for Alexis to continue on her briefing.

"Well that's it. Rose why don't you fill the idiot in?" Alexis smirked at him and walked away with Dmitri following her. He hated that she talked down to him so much. But it was partly his fault for letting her. No matter. He usually messed with her Potions Kit ensuring she would never get a grade above T.

Rose was staring at him wondering what was he thinking as she noticed he gave a slight smile and looked at her. His face paled considerably as he met her eyes and waited for her to begin. "Alexis is charming all of the entrances to the last floor since it is off limits anyways. That means we can stroll in pairs along the main corridors and keep an eye out. We are on the south end of the dungeons and we are patrolling 2 floors with the Potions rooms being our boundary. Alexis and Dmitri have the north side. Since it's only the first week we shouldn't take more than 5 points off for everyone we find and she said we could let the first years slide if they have a proper reason for being out. Got it?" She watched him shake his head and then she made her way out to their post as he followed closely behind her.

~*~*~*~*~

Rose was walking in front of him with her red locks swaying side to side. He wanted to reach out and touch her hair, it was silky looking and it had slightly frizzed since this morning. She was getting better at taming her hair and he liked it. He could just imagine her laying over him as the ends her hair tickled his skin. He would reach up push her tresses over her shoulder and she would look down at him like the sex kitten he wished she could be. As his hands were tangled in her tresses he would guide her lips to his and he started wondering what her kisses were like. He thought that she might have a kinky side and she could tie his hands to the headboard and make a trail of kisses down to his nether regions and pull his hard cock out his pants and blow him till…

"_Scorpius! _Are you listening to me?" he looked at Rose noticing she didn't look mad but her voice indicated that she was. Her face was usually set in stone, save for those few moments she smiled at him. He then realized he was getting very hard and absentmindedly looked down. A nice tenting effect was starting to take place. He couldn't believe it.


	2. Chapter 2

As Scorpius' eyes looked down, Rose's eyes followed his and she was immediately shocked. She turned around quickly and was ready to jinx the memory out of her mind forever. She hoped that his thoughts had nothing to do with her. She began to briskly walk the other way and to leave Scorpius time to 'mend' his appearance.

"Rose! I'm really sorry. It's just that I was…" Both students stopped. They heard the heels that were clacking along the corridor leading their way. It was Headmistress Hamlin. She was tall, quick and plain looking, but her strong voice and no nonsense demeanor called for absolute obedience. Just thinking of her helped slacken Scorpius pants and Rose was feeling quite well seeing as that she did not mix with mischief.

She appeared within seconds and looked at both Prefects. She smiled slightly and then with a look, they knew to follow her to her office. The walk was uneventful and they were both unsure wondering if they had done anything against the rules at any given time. Rose was wondering if she knew about Scorpius' "little incident". It would be torture for Rose to explain how she was in no way involved. Scorpius on the other hand got a strong feeling of something not being quite right. He couldn't place it and the thought wouldn't leave his head.

In no time they reached the stone gargoyle and he leaped out of the way to Headmistress Hamlin through. When they reached the inside of her office, to Rose's surprise the Headmistress began fidgeting, which is something she never did. She then looked up at the two teenagers.

"Rose, please wait outside for me." With a nod, Rose was situated in the hallway waiting to be recalled into the office.

~*~*~*~*

Scorpius gulped. He was unsure of what was about to happen but he was hoping for the best.

"Scorpius, take a seat. And answer me honestly. Are you a Death Eater and are your parents affiliated with them in any way?" She looked serious, but he couldn't believe the words that had just escaped her lips.

"Are you kidding me? What kind of a question is that?" He was standing and ready to jinx all of the shit out of her mouth. He didn't understand why this question was being asked. He knew his grandfather was really heavy into the Dark Arts, but he was never interested in such silly hypocrisies and bloodlines. His father wasn't nearly as bad as his grandfather, but Draco did hold many of his prejudices. It was ridiculous he never even so much as spoke the word was enraged. "Seriously? What the fuck do I have to do to stop everyone from fucking judging me?"

"Scorpius! Please! It was simply a question. Do not get worked up. I have some horrible news for you. Less than 15 minutes ago…your parents were found…dead. I'm sorry." Her voice cracked and she looked as if she might cry. She patted Scorpius' shoulders and lead him to a chair. "I have two people coming to visit. They want to ask you a few questions and if you don't feel up to it we can do this another time." She looked at him waiting for a response.

"Dad! Uncle Harry! It's good to see you guys…what are you doing here?" Scorpius heard Rose exclaiming outside. He had never really known her to be so animated. At least she could be happy. He was in shock and he wasn't able to process anything of what he had been told.

The door opened and in walked Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Scorpius had heard of them and he knew they were head of the Auror Office but he had no idea as to why they were here?

Harry spoke first. "Scorpius Malfoy, I'm Harry Potter and this is my partner Ron Weasley. You already know some of the bad news. Unfortunately there is more.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok! Yes, I know that the last chapter was truly short and really annoying. I honestly didn't want to end it there but then I said wait a cliffhanger! SO I did! Hopefully you will all enjoy this story! Its gets a little bit dark and I apologize if you're not really interested in that!

I enjoy reading the reviews and keep them coming! XOXO Stefany! Story Time!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry took a seat across from Scorpius and he looked shaken. He was pale faced and he had purple circle around his eyes. He was a bit jittery and everyone knew the news he was going to deliver was horrible. Ron was standing behind his chair and he too had dark circles framing his blue eyes. They looked sleep deprived and a bit off their rocker. It was unusual to Scorpius, hadn't his parents been found 15 minutes ago. Why were they looking so ragged? Was there something more going on? He had to know.

Rose entered the room unsure if she should be there. The headmistress was behind her desk attempting to divert her concentration but she couldn't. Rose was sure the news wasn't meant for her ears and she wanted to leave, yet she didn't want to call any attention to herself. So she stood at the doorway and hoped that no matter what she heard, it wouldn't affect her sleep. She was really tense and was unsure as to why everyone was looking so stiff. If she was quiet, she would soon find out.

Harry cleared his throat and began the hardest speech he ever had to deliver in his life. It was almost painful to say what he was going to say, but Scorpius needed to know the whole truth. And Harry had the job of telling him. "Scorpius, I'm sorry mate. I don't want to say any of what I'm going to tell you but it's the truth. I asked Headmistress Hamlin here to ask you if you or your parents were in any way connected to the Dark Arts. I'm sorry, but we have to investigate every possible means." Harry shook his head.

Scorpius didn't want to wait. He wanted the news to smack him across the face and then he would take it in and go on in his life. He was feeling sick just coming up with guesses as to what could have happened. He just wanted it to be over.

~*~*~*~*~

So obviously, Scorpius already knew a part of what was going on. But Rose was in the blank. It had to be bad because she had heard Scorpius yell at the headmistress. She was feeling dreadful with a knot of misery locked inside of her. That deep knot was rooted so hard and tightly in her stomach it almost hurt to stand. This also meant it had nothing to do with Scorpius thinking dirty thoughts. She was a bit relieved because there was no way in hell she would want to explain that story. She turned her focus back to Harry, who had begun speaking again.

"We found your parents dead, Scorpius. But there is more." Rose gasped and Harry paused. Everyone turned around and looked at her. Ron came to his daughter's side and hugged her. Rose hugged her father back but she still wanted to know more of what was going on. Something even more horrible was left unsaid, because that tight knot had yet to slacken. "Scorpius your parents were hanged. And their left arms were sliced off. The Dark Marks that were etched on them were completely filled in. And there was no sign of magical or non magical forced entry into your house. We're guessing it may be someone you know. The house is in perfect condition, nothing is stolen or disturbed, seeminglyw. I'm really sorry." Harry looked as if he might cry. Judging by the look on his face, the scene of the crime was worse than the news given.

Rose couldn't believe a word that she had heard. She was usually emotionless and not caring but this touched her deeply and she couldn't understand why. She squeezed her father tighly and let out a few tears. She was in disbelief.

~*~*~*~*~

The words hit him with such force and speed, he was sure that he would never fully comprehend what was going on. He was truly alone in the world now. His parents were dead, his grandfather, Lucius was at St. Mungo's in the psycho ward. His grandmother, Narcissa had been dead for years. His mother's parents were long gone as well. His aunt was nowhere to be found and no doubt be deemed 'unfit' to take care of Scorpius. So he had a large house, and a great deal of money and no one to live with, to love him, to encourage him, to hold him and most of all, to simply be there for him. He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands and cried.

~*~*~*~*~

Rose calmed herself down and looked up at her father. She mouthed the words 'I love you' and he did the same to her. She was glad her parents were still there for her. Even if it was a horrible way to feel, seeing as Scorpius was thoroughly distraught. She was however in for the surprise of her life.

Ron looked down at his daughter and he thought of how he had only wanted a simple and easy life for her and her brother Hugo. He didn't want them to be the butt of jokes as he was growing up. He wanted them to succeed and be happy. That was his only wish and now he was about to break his daughter's heart. He didn't even want to relay to her the unfortunate news. But he really had no choice. "Rose, darling, you also had some bad news. It's unfortunate really." Ron paused. He hadn't had a second to properly think and process the information he was going to give. He just wanted it out. And then he could cry his eyes out, if necessary. "It seems as if, well, your mother was also attacked. She was apparating from the office to get home. Someone was near her and they…threw a knife laced with poison at her. She died immediately." Tears had been sliding down Ron's face as her remembered the scene. It was horrific. His love had been killed by some sick son of a bitch. And he had no idea of how to deal with it.

Rose broke down. She cried and cried and cried like she had never done so before. It was the sickest thing she had ever heard, apart from the details of Scorpius' parent's death. She fell into a heap on the floor and curled up into a ball. Snot and tears ran down her face and she just let go. She didn't and couldn't remember anything else. She was carried up to the Hospital Wing to be carefully watched over by Mistress Cortez and a few select house elves throughout the night. Scorpius was brought up as well. And they would be indefinitely removed from their posts as Prefects and be kept out of classes until they were stable.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron was sad, sadder than he had ever been in his life. He was unsure when and if the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan would be informed of the situation. He didn't want to tell Hugo just yet. But he knew it would have to be very, very soon. They would all surely notice Rose's disappearance. He looked at Harry and forced a weak smile. Harry patted his best friends' shoulder and knew there was no way he could ever truly comfort him.

They had been searching up and down for days on end of the culprits who had sent threatening letters to the Ministry. The person or persons were elusive and did things the Muggle way. There was no magical tracing on anything, and unfortunately, they knew not to leave fingerprints and did a good job of eluding the two best Aurors' in the Department. They both felt shame at their dead end searching and guessing. It was probably never going to end and Ron felt sick at the fact that he might never serve justice to the sick bastards that killed his Hermione.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron and Harry left Hogwarts a few hours later after Hugo and the rest of the clan had been informed. Hugo was taken to the Hospital Wing but the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan was escorted to their bedchambers and, without their knowledge, house elves were also stationed to watch over them during the night. It was quite a sad site to everyone so heartbroken, because they were normally alive and fun. But everything was changing.

There was a killer or a group of killers on the loose and the Auror department had to shape up. Every criminal messes up one way or another, and it was their job to find out what this guy's mistake was. It wasn't going to be easy but for the sake of his family, Ron was willing to put his own life on the line.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for such a long wait! I was lost and I didn't know where to go! Then as I was listening to the song Come by Namie Amuro it all became clear! The lyrics I the story are in English…obviously…but the song is sung in Japanese. I hope you enjoy it and love reading it as much as I liked writing it! And please review it!

* * *

Scorpius was startled. He had been sitting on the window pane and looking out at the stars. He did this quite often, even before anything had happened. Gazing out at the sky made him feel normal again. He was looking for his constellation, but lately he couldn't seem to find it. It was as if the Heavens were mourning his loss with him. But he didn't like to be pitied. It made him feel inferior in some twisted way.

He heard Rose starting to stir from her bed. Rose was quite unwell. She would scribble in notebooks all day and nap and then scribble all night. At first the sound had been annoying but after a bit it became soothing and it often helped him to fall asleep. He enjoyed it and waited for Rose to start. But after a few minutes he realized that she was quiet. He looked her way and saw that she was staring out the window. He made eye contact with Rose and she smiled at him.

Rose got up and out of bed and walked up to Scorpius. She climbed up to sit on the sill and gaze outward. Scorpius' eyes were on her, and by the color filling in her cheeks, she knew it too.

_If sorrow is overflowing now,  
It's alright to lean on me and cry._

"Rose…." It was all that could escape his lips. But it was enough to call her attention to him. She was crying silently. It hurt him to know that she was feeling the pain that he was experiencing. She was too sweet and delicate to be that crushed. He reached for her cheeks and wiped the tears away.

_I get, I get, I get, get the feeling  
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming_

Rose jumped when Scorpius touched her cheeks, causing him to pull away, but Rose was simply shocked. She had never had anyone touch her in that manner before and it was something she liked. She reached out for his face and traced his jaw line and moved her fingers up to run her hands through his silky platinum blonde hair. She was nervous, what if she touched him wrong. But one look into Scorpius' eyes quelled her fears. He placed his hands on the neck and ran them down the length of her leaving goose bumps where his hands were once touching. He stopped at her waist and pulled he closer into him.

_Stay just like this._

They were tightly embracing that neither wanted to get out of. Rose felt for the first time, relief. It was as if he knew what was going on in her head and she loved it. Scorpius on the other hand, needed the close contact. He would never in anyway receive this from another living soul. Unless he was married and her knew that the only woman he would dream of marring was the one in his arms.

_Come my way  
Darkness is all around  
Come close to me...  
Now with the light of dusk,  
I'll be with you, I'll be with you...  
So I'm at your side. _

Rose looked up at handsome face she gave little acknowledgement to over the years at Hogwarts. She wondered why? He was good looking and his arms were strong and nicely cut from playing beater on the Quidditch team. They were holding her tightly as if they were afraid to let her go. And she secretly hoped they never would.

_I realize that you're just the only one  
who is important to me in this world. _

He had a pointed chin and she reached up to place her lips at the tip. It was now Scorpius' turn to jump. He looked down intently at Rose and brought his lips within centimeters of hers. He hesitated to ravish her as he so constantly did in his dreams. Was it because he knew that he could never really do what he dreamed up.

_I get, I get, I get, get the feeling  
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming _

He closed the space between their lips and prayed that Rose wouldn't mind his lack of experience. Rose had the same thoughts flowing through her mind. It was really quite endearing, that they were truly each other's firsts. They deepened the kiss as Scorpius allowed his tongue to invade Rose's perfect mouth. He brushed past her teeth and found his target. He flicked it and Rose responded. She loved the new sensations that coursed through her body. It made her feel alive again.

_Stay just like that._

She pulled away from him to breathe, and rested her face against his heart. It was beating like a jackhammer. And to know that she had caused it! Scorpius knew that from this day forward, Rose was his. And she might be just what he needed to continue with life and to give him hope that he could be whole again and even have a family. He smiled just knowing that.

_Come my way...  
Close your eyes  
Come close to me...  
It's alright if you sleep, because  
I'll be with you, I'll be with you..._

Rose didn't want leave him ever. He was perfect. Besides the fact that she knew nothing of him, she did know that if anyone could make her feel that good and safe at the same time he was worth making it work. Rose froze at the realization of her last thought. She wondered how he felt about her.

_  
I'm right here.  
So come my way._

_Calling out,  
Can you hear me?  
Yeah...  
So come my way. _

He looked down at the girl in his arms and was wondering how she felt. He had to speak to her before she got the wrong idea about him or about what had just taken place.

"Rose. If you didn't know by now, I really like you. And I hope you feel the same way. I want you to be mine, forever. Because no one has captured my attention quite like you have." He was nervous and he whispered every word he had said. He prayed she would accept his offer. It was the first time he had ever asked anyone out.

_I get, I get, I get, get the feeling  
I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming _

She was intrigued. She knew that he liked her but she thought it was more of an infatuation and simply a desire to be with her. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply. She might just pass out from all that was going on. As she leaned forward into Scorpius' rock solid chest, she figured she hadn't answered his question yet. "Yes."

_Stay just like this._

That was it. Yes. It was simple and to the point. So very Rose, and for him to expect anything different was insane. But she had very well given him the answer he had wanted to hear. He held her tighter and brought her face up to his once again. He kissed her once more and watched her while he kissed her, and she was watching him. He simply couldn't get enough of her.

_Come my way  
Come close to me  
_

~*~*~*~

Scorpius woke from his dream. He was numb. He couldn't remember a thing. The sun was just starting to rise and he remembered his dream. It was just a dream and nothing more. He wanted to cry because that would only ever happen to him. He looked over and saw Rose asleep in her bed. Where else would she be? Not next to him, she wasn't like that not in the least. He got up and washed his face off. And then he went back to his bed and sat on the edge. He was tired of doing homework here and staying in here and just being in here. Roses' brother left Two days earlier because he was showing signs of coping and coming to terms with the death, however him and Rose had yet to be dismissed. He startled by Rose passing by him to wash her face by the sinks as well. He wished that dream really was real. He wished he could grab her and snog her senseless right on his bed. But that was not to be. He just wasn't meant to be with Rose. And that hurt him so much especially after the vivid dream he had just had. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes, incessantly trying to remove the images of Rose his mind had cooked up. And he jumped when a delicate pair of hands was trying to pry his hands away from his eyes. Was it real?

Rose pressed her lips to his and he knew that his amazing dream wasn't a dream at all. It was simply a little piece of heaven in a trying time.


	5. Chapter 5

A little piece of heaven in a trying time. That was how he described Rose two weeks earlier. Now he wan't so sure what he had been thinking. Of course she was amazing and he liked her a bit more as learned new things about her, but the one thing he couldn't understand about her was the fact that she could be so studious. She never stopped studying, even for a second; there was always something new to investigate and something else to verify. She was heading in the right direction to become a great Healer, since she was excessively knowledgeable on potions and their properties, and she had even done a bit of researching into muggle Healers and their practices. But all Rose had really done was push Scorpius into the background. He wasn't the same boy he had been, he wasn't even a boy anymore, he was now a young man, forced to take care of himself and what he had waiting for him after he left Hogwarts. And Rose was neglecting to see that. He was a young man who would be facing problems, many of which he had no idea how to even start to fix.

Last week he had seen the deeds to his house and all properties in it as exclusively his, and then a whole storm of articles went through the newspapers stating that a research of Malfoy Manor was in order, seeing as that no one could really trust a Malfoy, and who knows what kind of dark items Scorpius could be hiding. It was silly but no one changed their mind on the Malfoy's even after the Great War. It was twisted and shameful, but it was what Scorpius was dealing with. He had to sign off investments and properties his family owned, not just on his father's side, but also on his mother's side. There was a never ending list of stuff that had to be done. He had his house elf Folly come by each weekend with necessary paper work and the stacks of paper just went through the roof. His grandfather had even tried to get in touch with him, claiming that the fortune was still his, but Scorpius knew that a part of some twisted scheme. He even had to pay for his grandfather's expenses at the retirement home he was at. It just got increasingly complicated. The worst part was that poor Scorpius had no idea what to do and how to deal with it all. It was just overwhelming, and the worst part was that his girlfriend was never to be found.

It really did hurt him, no matter how little he let on. When he tried to kiss Rose and she offered her cheek was the worst. It felt as if she was no longer interested in him and he didn't get the picture. He had no idea what to say to Rose to patch things up. He truly felt all alone in the world, with no one for him to receive love from. He needed to get his life in check, if only he knew how to.

* * *

Rose was a quiet and clever girl when teachers spoke of her. She was a blessing and intelligent when her father spoke of her. She was charming and smart when strangers told her their impression of her and now, just by guessing, her boyfriend might call her cold and bitchy. She couldn't really help it though. Being affectionate in the Great Hall and down the hallways and after classes made her nervous. She wished Scorpius wouldn't try so hard to show the whole of Hogwarts they were together. It's not that she cared what they thought, but it was more of an unsettling feeling. He made her nervous and her stomach churned and her head get cloudy when he was around and that was definitely what she did not want. Rose was becoming one of those silly girls who giggled and blushed, and Rose Weasley did not blush!

But there was much more to her angst. In the midst of her mother being murdered, she had found someone she really liked. That bothered her even more. She was waking up happy thinking of her boyfriend, not mourning her mother. Wasn't that wrong, it had only been a month since her mother passed. She also had little information on what her father had collected thus far. It gave her the most uneasy feeling she had ever felt. And she no longer knew how to keep her feelings in check and until she learned how to, she just might have to skip up on having a boyfriend.

* * *

**Very Short. I know. So do you guys like the story so far? This was really hard for me to write, even though I have no real idea why....I hope to update the next chapter by the end of this week. So stay tuned.**


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